


Scarlet

by AnaWayne



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Bat Brothers, Bat Family, Family Secrets, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Multi, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Siblings, Secret Identity, Sibling Bonding, Slice of Life, Temporary Character Death, baby care, unbeta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-10-01 20:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20397217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaWayne/pseuds/AnaWayne
Summary: Bruce Wayne had never been more surprised than when he received a little baby in his arms that they said it was his daughter.Persephone Wayne came to the Bat Family as a sign of hope and light. But will her father be capable of stopping her when she decided to follow in the family business as a heroine?





	1. The Wayne Princess

**Author's Note:**

> This work don't have a beta.

Jason Todd was a tough Guy, well at least he was tougher than his antecessor, and a baby didn’t go well to his image of tough guy. Really! So why he was the one carrying the little bundle that was chewing his pendant? He remembered two days ago when he and Bruce came back from patrol and found Alfred playing with the little thing.

According to all documents the baby’s name was Persephone Scarlet Wayne, she had been left at the Social Service by a woman that decided to remain in anonymity but had been one of Bruce’s many lovers and fell pregnant and decided to have the baby but not raise it, so took her to the social service office with a note and a birth certificate with Bruce’s name in the where should be the father’s and hers under a black mark and an judicial paper saying that should she be contacted by the child or the father she would press charges against them. Per law if a woman named a father to a child it was then the supposed father’s to prove that he wasn’t.

The first thing Bruce did was to look into the mother, with all his technological recourses it hadn’t be difficult to hack/find a security record of the Social Service and see the woman that had left little Persephone, and indeed it had been one of Bruce’s ex’s, Carmen Bianchi, a Italian model that Jason had saw some times in the Manor about an year ago. It hadn’t been a surprise when the DNA tests matched.

Now he was holding the little girl that would grow up to call him big brother. It was somewhat unsettling, yet he liked it. And truth be told he fell for the little brat in two seconds.

“Master Jason, I think you should go make your homework, you still have school tomorrow.” His face frowned as he looked at the British butler. “I assure you I can handle a baby.”

“But I just made her sleep; I’m going to put her in the crib first.” Jason said with a pleading look that even Bruce arched his eyebrow.

“You have ten minutes, you are not going to patrol until you finish at least half of your homework.” Bruce said and he grumbled. He was a superhero (or at least the side kick of one) why did he have to do homework? “Nine now.”

Upstairs, in the room closest to Bruce’s the nursery had been set, it wasn’t totally ready, Alfred wanted to paint it with the sunset colors or something equally out of the too dark schemes that could get a little girl scared. He placed her in a crib with care and tenderness, he wasn’t exactly a fan of babies, but for her he could make an exception.

“Well, sis, it seems that you have to stay alone for a little while, but don’t get worried your big brother is going to come back in no time, alright?” He said placing a kiss in her forehead.

It took him 45 minutes to make his homework completely. And less than 5 to get completely ready to his patrol with Bruce.

“I didn’t knew you liked kids.” Bruce said when he came closer to the man that was looking at the monitor.

“I don’t like kids!” He replied trying to conceal the little blush in his cheeks that was making the old Bat smirk. “But I can deal with Posey…”

“Posey, hn?” Jason’s embarassement increased and he waved at the old man.

“Trust me, no one is ever going to call her for her name, is too long and Posey is good short for it.” He said with a firm voice.

“Well, is good to see that someone had fitted so well in the big brother position.” Bruce said and then saw a red point in the monitor. “Let’s go, a burglary in the Natural Museum.”

* * *

When Dick discovered the news that Bruce had a baby daughter he laughed, hard, for some good minutes. The man had always been a constant pain in the ass about sex with protection, even after Babs had dumped him for another guy he got ahead and impregnated one of his cover-up girls. Even when he wasn’t talking with Bruce, the man was still his father. He had adopted him when anyone else would had just left him to the adoption system, he had raised him up, feed him, clothed him and trained him, gave him a purpose. It meant that even if the man wasn’t his blood, he was his father, his family. Therefore every single one of Bruce’s children his siblings. So he picked a week of his work and classes at college to travel all the way to Gotham.

The first thing he perceived when he reached the city had been the newspaper. The Gotham Gazette headlines were bold and tall **The Wayne Princess, _where is the mother? _**_“In Milan with a new sugar daddy.”_ Dick thought with a frowned face. The theories written were too much ridiculous to his taste.

At the Manor he encountered a really strange scene in one of the family rooms. Jason was spread on the floor in his back, holding a laughing baby in his held up arms, moving it a little and making silly airplane noises; Bruce was in an armchair, but an ever vigilant look at his face when it came to Jason and the little girl; Clark talking amicably with Bruce; and Alfred had a serene smile in his lips.

“Well, that’s a scene!” He said. “It seems I’m not your favorite sibling anymore, hn, Jason?!” He kidded with the 15 years old teenager.

“Sorry, bro. But this princess steal the title!” Jason said, placing the baby in his chest. “Seriously, Bruce, Posey is the best baby in the world.” The baby laughed and placed a hand in his nose. “Hey, sis this hurt!”

“Just for you to know, she already has every man in this house wrapped in her little finger.” Clark said to him.

“Now I want to see it.” He approached the boy and the baby. He picked the baby from Jason’s arms and lifted her up. The baby green eyes looked at him with a little curiosity at the new face and tilted her head at him. She was a cute thing, true.

“Master Richard, be careful with Miss Persephone.” Alfred said after seeing the distance the man was putting between himself and the girl in his hands. “If she falls…”

“Calm down, Alfred, it isn’t the first baby I hold you know?” The first Robin moving the baby closer. The butler narrowed his eyes and turned his back.

“You have to see how many threats he makes to me daily when I am playing with her.” Jason said to him, getting up to play with the baby in his brother’s arms.

“So how is the big brother life treating you?”

“Awesomely! Posey is fantastic! She has a habit to throw up at Bruce after he feed her, but never does it with me! Also she is really quiet, almost never cry and she sleeps most of time, so it is easy to like her.” He said excitedly.

“He was in love with her before he discovered any of those things.” Bruce said looking at the scene with barely hidden amusement. “At Posey’s first day he was already playing with her in the floor and looking at how to baby proof the house. Actually he was the one that gave her the nickname.”

“That’s something I wanted to ask, why Persephone?” Dick asked at Bruce and Jason also looked surprised at him and turned his head to Bruce.

“Mother was an known enthusiastic of the Greek culture, also I’ve might had said to Carmen that Hades and Persephone were my favorite myth.” Bruce said shrugging.

“Wasn’t it the Gordonas tale?” Dick asked the man that arched his eyebrow and smirked with a smug face.

“Not romantic, I was in my playboy character when I was with Carmen.”

“And you didn’t change the poor girl’s name because?”

“I’ve liked it enough.” Bruce said with a superior look and Dick turned once again to the baby, making her be face to face with him.

“Well, it seems that we’re sticking to Posey, baby girl!” The baby laughed at his statement and he could resist the small smile in his lips.

“And it seems that the baby wrapped you too, Dick.” Clark said with a genuine smile.

* * *

To say that Barbara Gordon was surprised would be an understatement. When she saw her mentor holding the baby girl in a meeting with lots of other businessmen as if the girl was just where she should be and wasn’t trying to eat his tie was somewhat funny. After she had been crippled and any chances for her to work as an super heroine or as a police officer as her father she decided to focus on technology backup to the Batman, assuming the codename of Oracle, and in the day light she worked at the Wayne Enterprise as Bruce Wayne’s PA.

When she found out that Bruce had a daughter her first thought had been that it had been Selina’s or Talia’s, because seriously the man had a history with his own villains. When she saw the baby she then thought that it was Poison Ivy’s daughter: ginger curls and emerald green eyes with a rosy white skin and a strong grip. It wouldn’t surprise her at all, Bruce Wayne had an affair with Pamela Isley some years ago, before it had been reveled that the Botanical PHD and the villainess were the same person. And God knew that the man was attacked by the “bad girls”.

Anyway she quite liked the girl, she was quiet, cute and had all man in the Bat-family completely wrapped in her little finger. Oh! How much she would love to see when the girl would take home her first boyfriend. A small chuckled escaped her lips. She pitied the poor soul.

* * *

Alfred was ecstatic.

Dick was happy.

Barbara was having fun.

Jason was in love.

And him?

Well, he didn’t know yet. The minute he carried the girl he knew she was his, even before the DNA test result. And he loved her. She was a little piece of himself. The best piece at that. But the darkest part of him didn’t know if he could, should, keep her. She was so innocent, so much light, what if he dimmed her light with his mission?

When he first said that to Jason the boy threw some of his batarangs at him with an angry scowl in his face. And then he proceed to explain why he shouldn’t ever thinking about sent the girl away. That she was family. That she would be safer with them. That she would make them work harder to come home. To make Gotham a safe place.

And them the girl laughed at him at night. Every night after patrol or mission, Jason would go straight to bed and he would go to the nursery after a quick shower. More often than not Posey would be woken, as if waiting for him. He would pick her up and tell her bedtime stories and lullabies, she would laugh at him, some nights she wouldn’t let go of him, even after falling asleep, and she had a strong hold. God knew that he had found another mission in life.

“Mr. Wayne, I understand that you are a single father, but do you really think it was wise to smuggle a child to this reunion?” The CFO (chief finance officer) asked him with a frown.

“I was dealing with Moira Queen, the woman has two children and a grandson, do you really think that she would care about a baby in the room?” Bruce said shrugging. It was true, Moira Queen was known for liking children, it hadn’t been a surprise when at the end of the reunion she started asking him about his children and Posey and even asked to hold the baby a little.

Also, what would he do? Dick was in New York studding law at Columbia University, Jason was in a school excursion to Metropolis and Alfred had to take care of the house, and while he knew the old butler could take care of everything it didn’t feel alright to simply overwork him. And he wouldn’t just ask for a babysitter before he could check out every detail of her life, especially with the Gotham Gazette promoting a contest to pay a thousand dollars for a photo of Posey in her nursery and another thousand for all the Wayne man with the four months old baby.

Till now he had somewhat managed to keep Posey away from the press, but it seemed that the further he keep her the biggest was their desire to see her.

He looked at the little bundle in his arms. She sure as hell wasn’t making to the Gazette today.


	2. Intervension

Posey Wayne was a vivacious little girl. Since day one she had been spoiled by her two brothers, Alfred and her father. Dick would come at least once a month just to see her, always bringing something for her. Alfred would always prepare her favorite foods and sweets (and now the manor smelled like a cookie factory). Bruce would spare an hour after his patrols just to hold her, even when she was sleeping. Yet, her favorite person in the whole world was her “Jay”, which would constantly do anything for her, from learning how to braid that infuriate amount of curly hair to watch Disney movies and singing the songs with her.

Her first word had been Jay, what caused a jealous resentment at every man in the manor for a whole week.

Posey and Jay were inseparable. So, when the day came for Posey start the pre-school Jason was almost exasperated. He organized her bag, with her toys and snacks, written down her emergency contact and even placed a tracker in her bracelet.

He was now a fine 18 years old man, and Bruce wanted him to choose a University and think about a career, like Dick that studied law and worked in the Police Department in NY as part time, but he had no idea what to do. He first though in follow into Dick’s steps, but he didn’t like the heavy amount of reading material that there had in the law school. Then when he decided to do a sabbatical he hadn’t expect for Bruce to simply agree, but then the man costumed up as a Bat and fight crime in Gotham, had been fighting it since his twenties, prepared himself for it since his 15. A sabbatical year for Jason didn’t look like such a madness.

Jason also didn’t know if he would simply stay in Gotham during his sabbatical or if he would make a world tour. Well, he had some time to decide it latter.

“Master Jason, your sister is only going to stay for four hours in the school, not a whole day. She doesn’t need a bag with three changes of clothes or enough food to feed an army of toddlers.” Alfred said after looking at the bag the boy prepared for the three years old girl.

“Well, what if they don’t have her favorite foods? Also even with this angel face you know perfectly well that Posey is capable of making a complete mess.”

“And the blanket?” Alfred asked with an amused look in his face. “I suppose it is in case the pre-school doesn’t have it?”

“It is her favorite!” Jason shrugged. Bruce entered the nursery with the toddler in his arms, fresh from a bath using a grey tulle skirt and a pink shirt. One day in the future Posey would thank Barbara for putting together her wardrobe and written down some rules for the fashion ignorant male that she lived with.

“Master Bruce, it looks like Master Jason is overdoing himself again.” The butler said to the billionaire that looked at his adoptive son with a raised eyebrow.

“I trust you placed a tracker in this bag, right?” He asked the boy that scoffed picking up small bracelet made with pinkish pearls and had a golden charm of a flower. “Placed inside one of the pearls, of course!”

“I see I taught you well!”

“Oh! Please!” The butler said giving them his back.

* * *

Tim Drake was a rich boy with a Batman hero worship complex. When he was a toddler his father and step mother had taken him to watch the Flying Graysons and their death, and months later their murderer had been brought to justice by Batman and his new sidekick, Robin. Also three years ago, when his parents had been kidnapped by a crazy man in Haiti and his mother died, it had been Batman the one that rescued his father before something worse happened and arrested the crazy.

Now at his fourteen he had used his hacker skills and good detective work and deduced Batman’s identity and his side kicks too. It kind of shocked him when he came to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne was the Batman! Seriously! He once saw the man in a magazine holding his toddler daughter and with second adoptive son besides him, and there were nothing there that would lead anyone in believing that Bruce Wayne could be the Batman.

Well, if the Robin position ever became vacant, he would be the first to apply for it.

* * *

Persephone was a very intelligent girl. Actually she was quite a perceptive person and curious too. So once her brother took her to that new place full of children of her age and a gentle woman with blonde hair she started to fuss in enjoyment to the despair of one Jason Todd. The girl was struggling in his arms to be putted down so she could go play.

“First time a girl rejects me so thoroughly…” He muttered, but she didn’t care as long her brother placed her down, and he did so she run as fast as her little legs let her run so she could met this new people.

“Are you going to stay, Mr. Todd?” The boy nodded and moved himself to a side chair where he could watch his sister.

As the minutes passed, Persephone met new people, there were a Jaime and a Bob, that didn’t play with girls because they’re gross. Persephone thought the contrary, but she wasn’t starting a discussion when she could just play with Elyssa and Marie. While she loved Jay with all her heart, Persephone couldn’t just let the man stand still to watch her as a statuette so she moved to him and took his hands.

“What is it, Posey? Do you want to go home?” She shook her head, why would she want to go home? She was having fun! Anyway she pulled him to the door and then pointed to it.

“Ya can go home now!” She said with an imperative voice, trying to simulate her father. It made Jason being stuck between laugh and cry; because Posey was undeniably cute with her ‘serious’ face, but she was sending him away.

“Are you sending me away?” Jason asked to confirm and the toddler nodded. “Why?” Persephone pouted and tossed her hair, why was Jay being so obtuse?

“‘Cause you’re supposed to leave! Ya are a big kid, so ya can’t be here!” She said as if explaining the obvious to him.

“I’m here to see if you are going to be alright.” Jay said and she chuckled at him.

“Course I’m gonna be alright! I am at a school!” She said fiercely with a haughtily voice and then pointed to the door again. “I’ll see ya later!” And gave him her back.

For the first time in three years he was unsure if he should laugh or cry, but one thing he was sure, his sister was the cutest thing ever!

(LINE BREAK)

Bruce Wayne was one of the richest men in the world. True! Even when he refused to do partnership with the Army in weapon development because of his creed against the kind of weapon they usually want his labs to develop, he still made a good money with the Wayne Security developing standardized weapon for them also the war tanks, missiles, airplanes, etc. Then the Wayne Enterprises also had the hotel chain, food chain, science development program and even he had a hard time tracking everything that was controlled by his company.

Anyway, being a billionaire account had lots of perks: exclusive access, good cars, helpful connections… But also it had some disadvantage, a pool full of sharks and danger that should be tread carefully. Also known as gold-diggers. He knew that in his midst it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for two families merge money and their companies through marriage, but he really couldn’t understand what had given some families the impression that he would be interested in doing so.

Charlotte Gold was a refined woman in her sixties. A British lady with title Countess of Nottingham and blue blood running in her veins. However her fortune was decaying and now she was looking into marrying her young daughter, Catherine, into money. More likely, his money.

“Lady Nottingham, I’m going to be frank with you. I have no interest in marrying a woman that has the age of one of my sons.” He cut her rambles about how a marriage with her daughter could benefit the Wayne Enterprise.

“But Mr. Wayne, you are 33 and still single. Also I’ve heard about those Mr. Grayson and Mr. Todd that you adopted, you can’t possible want for a circus freak and a declassed homeless boy to keep the name your father and grandfather had made for themselves, the name that are the very foundation of your company.” The woman said sounding indignant. His eyes narrowed at her impossible prejudiced opinion about his sons. “As for the little bastard of yours, my Catherine would be more than happy to give her a name to fill the mothers’ spot on her id and teach her how to be a proper young lady, but of course you would have to provide my daughter a son to carry on our name and tradition.”

Lucius Fox, his old friend and the person that usually served as his second hand gasped at the woman’s world. If there were one thing that no one ever did to Bruce Wayne was insult his children. Charlotte’s secretary looked as white as paper and his hand was trembling. It seemed that he knew how vicious he was about his children.

He didn’t care if the media smacked him about his life-style, about the women whose company he keep. But when they started talking about his children… The Mediator, a local tabloid, had closed doors two months after a process he opened when they suggested that Dick was working with the Zucco to get his hands in the Wayne’s money. Heather Longborn couldn’t find a job in the country after she implied that Jason was the leader of a drug deal ring. And more recently Jonas Fordman was now in jail for home invasion, after he tried to take pictures of his daughter in her nursery. Of course, there had been others, many others that had somewhat lose a lot after provoking his children.

It seemed that Lady Nottingham did get the memo.

“Now, Lady Nottingham, I understand that you are old so I’m chuckling your prejudice and outdated views at your old age. But let me draw the line.” He made a dramatic pause to see the fury and indignation settle in the woman’s face. “That circus freak studies law and works at the policy academy in New York so he can help others. The declassed homeless boy is an intelligent young man that can do anything he wants. And they are both my sons, and I am proud to say it so. The girl to who you are referring as _little bastard_ is my daughter, and I love her with every fiber of my body, she isn’t a charity case for your daughter to ‘adopt’. Now let me be very clear with you, I’m not interested in marrying your daughter, I’m also not interest in your bankrupt company and I would be happy if you get out of my office.”

“That is not how you should treat a Lady, Mr. Wayne. Especially one of my instance.” The woman said getting up and looking at him.

“And I know that no true lady would ever speak that way about a child.” He said looking firmly at the woman.

After a stare contest the woman retreat, and with an over haughtily stare she turned her back at him. Her secretary looked at him apologetic and Lucius guided the door to them and waited some minutes before turning to Bruce.

“I take you are not interested in Midas anymore.” He said and saw a dark look in Bruce’s face. That look was usually reserved for his Batman persona, or to people that provoked his children. Lucius Fox was the only person in Wayne Enterprise, besides Barbara, that new that Bruce Wayne was Batman.

“Oh, I’m still interested, but I was going to offer her a good price on it, over the amount that it actually worth, but now I’m going to wait till the public sale to pay their debts, I believe it will happen by Christmas.”

“What if they offer the deal to another person? I think that Lex Luthor would be more than happy to marry a young girl just to have the title of Lord.” Lucius said.

“They can offer the title. It belongs to Charlotte’s step-son.”

“So we wait?”

“So we wait.”

Well it seemed that the list of people that screwed up with Wayne’s family had just added another name.

* * *

Two months later, Batman returned alone from a patrol. Bruce Wayne held his daughter to sleep, Alfred closed the door of a teenager room and in NY, Dick wiped his tears of his cheeks.

And a week later in Nanda Parbat a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and darker eyes looked at a bandaged body in front of her. Her five years old son was in her private rooms, had been forbidden of leaving till second notice. He was unaware of the fact that he somewhat older brother was dead.

Talia didn’t lie to her son. Damian knew that he had a father; he knew that his father was unaware of his existence; he knew that he had two adopted older brothers and a young half sister and he also knew that his sister (the one he wanted to meet the most) was a warrior like him and his brothers, therefore she would need protection. It was kind of adorable through, how her son had yet to met his sister, but was already in love with her existence (maybe the assassin league needed more children).

Yet, the Pit was not the best solution. It had given her father life for long years, much longer than a man should live, yet it also gave him angst and violence. It was salvation and damnation in a whole package. And while this boy had been trained by one of their own (he could deny all he wanted, but Bruce was one of them, he had been trained by them, groomed by them to be their new leader), he was still only a boy. And a boy wouldn’t had what it takes to overcome the Pit’s damnation.

“Are you sure of it, Father?” She turned to her father who was realizing the ceremony.

“It had never been my intention to cause the death of this boy, of the brother of my grandson. Yes Talia, it must be done. Or else, how will I face Damian knowing that I have killed his brother?”

That was a drama and lie. Talia knew that while her father loved her son, he wouldn’t care if he killed his brothers, because Ras al Ghul knew that Damian’s loyalty was his and the leagues, as long as Persephone stayed alive. God knew that Damian’s was completely in love with the notion of someone needing his protection, and what’s better to protect than a young sister? Anyway, that meant that her father had a hidden agenda. One that she would undercover and analyzed, because if whatever is that he was planning could do something to hurt her son, well… She would stop it.

That night, where in Gotham, Bruce, Dick and Alfred held a family private ceremony for their family member, (because to the world, Jason Todd was partaking a sabbatical years in Tibet) in Nanda Parbat a young man resurrected amidst screams and pains and hallucinations. Two dozens of men couldn’t secure him, couldn’t calm him down. A dozen perished that night. And Talia couldn’t help but wonder that it had been an awful idea. Yet it had already been done.

Now, how would she delivered to her beloved the news that Jason Todd was alive?


	3. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to every kudo and comment!

The first time Bruce perceived something was different with Persephone was in the night he told her that Jason had disappeared, when she were 3. She had been so upset and cried for the whole day, at the perk of her sadness all the lights of the manor flicked, the closest broken to shards. That hadn’t happen again.

He didn’t wanted a new Robin, not after Jason, but them that cocky boy convinced Alfred and Dick that he was in “spiral of self-destruction”. Probably he wasn’t as bad as he placed it, but true be told, the first two months after Jason demise he returned more ragged each time, and got more violent too. Harley Quinn was now in a prison of ARGUS, Joker in a prison island the same where Oliver Queen had been for five years. Anyway Tim Drake proved his worth, to all family. However, Jack Drake had discovered his secret, the man pretended well, and they had formed a good friendship. That was till Captain Boomerang entered his apartment to steal a statute that Jack refused to sell. Ten million dollars had been the price of his life. Jack had left Tim a millionaire inheritance, but also in the care of Bruce Wayne. That had been a year after Tim became the Robin.

Persephone, being a little sunshine that she was, had immediately liked Tim. Tim had been a little reluctant first, after all he had zero experience with children, especially girls, but she was a really cute toddler. Today was her birthday. And as it had been expected, there were more people than she knew, not that she cared, she loved people and parties, and Bruce knew that she liked everyone there.

“Your daughter is so cute, Bruce!” Andrea Torniele said to him as she watched the little girl running around the garden using a Rapunzel dress, how she could be so fast using that dress he would never know. “It’s a pity she doesn’t have a mother.”

Bruce controlled his urge to roll his eyes, imply that Persephone needed a mother had been an old tactic used by many women that crossed his life. What many didn’t know was that after Persephone he had done a vasectomy. Not wanting to slip again, also he already had enough children.

“She doesn’t need one, not when Dick is a consumed mother-hen around her.” He said pointing to his oldest son that was following the energetic girl. Dick had become overly preoccupied with the girl since she started to slide the handrail after Tim. It also got worse after she begged Bruce to place her in gymnastic class after she watched an old record of Dick in the circus. Bruce had preferred for her to do ballet, but the hot head girl somewhat convinced every one that she could do gymnastic.

“I’ve see that your other son isn’t here, what was his name, James?”

“Jason. He has been declared disappeared after he didn’t return from his sabbatical in Tibet.” Bruce said with sadness in his voice, which reached his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Andrea said.

“I am sorry too.”

More than many people could think.

* * *

Persephone favorite pastime was to rile up Dick. The Wayne Manor Garden was full of decoration themed as Rapunzel’s Tower and she was dressed in a long gown as Tim, was dress as a Prince. People from the school came to her birthday, but also a lot of people she had never seen before as one Connor Hawke from Starling City (wasn’t it in California?) any way she didn’t care. She made friendship with everyone.

“Timmy!” She called for her brother at the top of the three she had just climbed just to show the boys that she could. Anyway the face in Dick’s face was white of pure dread.

“Posey! How did you get up there?” Dick’s asked at her and Tim looked completely impressed with her.

“I climbed silly!” She said. At one movement the branch she was moved too, it wasn’t going to break, she knew it, she could _feel_ it, but Dick’s just didn’t understood it.

“Just don’t move!”

After a few minutes and some very worried people looking at her, including daddy, Dick used a stair to pick her and land her on the ground. She didn’t understand why people was applauding… it hadn’t be a rescue, she had never been in danger, actually she knew exactly how she would go down, but she supposed she should let Dick have his five minutes of fame.

The rest of the party had been boring, Dick and Tim had been following her everywhere, in case she decided to climb another thing. Her favorite time, anyway was when everyone reunited in a table to sing Happy Birthday to her, and then she blew her 5 years old candle, making a wish.

“So, Princess, what have you asked for?” Timmy asked with her sitting in his lap as they eat the dark forest cake.

“I can tell you, Timmy!” She said to him and stuffed a cherry in her mouth.

“Why not? I promise that I won’t tell anyone.” He whispered to her and she looked at him and shook her head.

“I can’t tell you, if I do, Jay won’t come back home.” She said, her voice stating the obvious. She knew that they thought that Jay was dead, but he wasn’t. She could _feel_ it.

* * *

A year later, Dick Grayson had moved from New York to Bludheaven, for two reasons: first Bludheaven was close enough to Gotham so he could go back home every other weekend; and second, a criminal family from Gotham moved their operation there, one of the families that worked with Zucco. There the Nightwing had born. When the White Parasites (as Batman called them) had invaded the Earth, his first thought was to offer to help, but them he received a notification that he was to stay in the Manor with Persephone and Tim.

Being placed in the reserve team by the Batman wasn’t great, but even he could understand why he done it. First of all, Batman was a father, his top priority was his children, them the city and then the fucking world. Also he knew that Posey would be scared, and would be kept in the manor, but if they ever got around there… He didn’t thought twice before hopping in his car and getting to Gotham where Tim was with an irritated scowl and Persephone looked like Christimas had come early. Alfred, had explained that he would be down in the Cave, just to make sure the Batman wouldn’t need help.

The young girl didn’t understand what was going on but she liked the extra attention she was having from her brothers. However the excitement were of quickly after she watched two or three movies and fell asleep in Dick’s lap.

“What is it, Tim?” He asked as he saw the young impatient boy tumbling his fingers in the table.

“He shouldn’t be doing it alone!” The boy said, looking at him.

“Well, he isn’t alone. And you know he doesn’t want us to get hurt.” Dick said. “Also imagine what happens if the Parasites come to Gotham, the mess it would be.”

“Posey would be scared.”

“That’s why we’re here… Anyway… He is working with Superman, he totally doesn’t need our help.”

“I can’t believe you work with the Batman, but is a fangirl of the Boy Scout!” Tim smirked and he threw an pillow at the young boy.

“Shut up! You are my fangirl!”

“Were! Past tense, and I was eight.” He said with a flushed cheek. “What they say is true, never met your heroes.”

“Oh… Sorry Timbo, didn’t know it would go so straight to the point.” Dick said with a smirk. That moment Persephone stirred a little in his lap. “I think I should put her to bed.” He said getting up and picking Persephone in his arms. Tim approached and kissed her cheek.

“Alright, I’ll go check everything with Alfred.”

Next morning came and no notice of Batman. From the news they saw that the situation wasn’t good, the pollution in the sky was increasing, the skies of New York, Paris, Hong Kong, London, Nairobi, Kampala, São Paulo, Mexico City and Sydney were almost completely covered with that dark dust that the Parasites were creating. Dick had a hard time keeping his sister out of the TV news, all channels were broadcasting the alert state, even the private ones.

“Dick! I want to watch Spongebob!” The girl complained, pouting.

“Not today, Posey… Don’t you have school stuff to do?” The school had been canceled because of the invasion crisis.

“Already done! Timmy helped me yesterday… I already know how to write my name!” She said proudly. “And everyone’s else names too. Even yours!”

“Really, do you know how to spell my name?” Dick asked, trying to keep her out of the TV topic.

“Yes! R-I-C-H-A-R-D…. See I can spell Timmy’s too: T-I-M-O-T-H-Y!”

“Can you spell dad’s name?”

“Yes, and Alfred’s and Jason’s and Barbara’s… I can also count to 100, and read a whole book. Had you ever read the Three Musketeers?” More times than he ever wanted, yet he shook his head.

“Did you like it?”

“I preferred the Snow Queen and the Wild Swans.” She said tilting her head. “Daddy, reads to me when he is at home, he uses to read the Fairytale Book that is on my room.”

Tim entered the TV room with popcorn and refrigerant and he looked at the younger boy with a raised eyebrow.

“What? She wants to see Spogebob, we have the DVD…”

“Popcorn before lunch? Alfred is going to kill you if it spoils her appetite.”

“Oh, please! This girl has a black hole in her tummy.” Tim said trickling Persephone’s side.

“At your own risk.”

* * *

It took him two years. Two years to calm down. He remembered his death and the resurrection. It came with a burning rage that consumed everything he touched. But each kill made him calmer, more like himself. The incredible part of this two years that not even once he hurt an innocent, everyone that he killed had been a criminal: some rapists in Thailand, drug dealers in Russia, slave dealers in Greece, mafia in Italy and United States, also two serial killers. He lived as a wanderer, accepting shelter in anyplace he could, working for his bed and board and wandering.

Then he had calmed down. His senses finally came back to him and he could feel more like himself. The he saw a photo of his Posey in a magazine commenting about her birthday party. She was so beautiful, so innocent… and he was so dirty with all that blood in his hands, yet he couldn’t feel bad for their death, not when they had almost as much blood in their hands than him. If anything their death had made the world better.

He remembered that Bruce once told him that killing a murderer didn’t change the number of remained murderers, but he killed lots of them, the number may have got down for a bunch by now. Anyway he didn’t think he care anymore. Not for the murderers, not for the rapists and drug dealers, all of them could burn on hell for all he knew. He cared about the innocent, like Posey.

When the Parasites invaded Earth he had been in New York, Batman and the new founded Justice League hadn’t perceived his presence as he shot down some of the incredibly irritant Parasites. They didn’t perceived as he gave them coverage. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t interested in the fame, but the killing made him some good.

Then three weeks after New York, after all that mess he came home. To where his family was. His father, his brother (brothers, as he had read recently) and his sister. Would they accept him after everything? After his hands become so tainted with blood? He perceived that his reserve key was still in the place he let it, and he used it, they had not changed the locks. From the time he knew that Posey and Timothy would be at school, and that Alfred was taking them. So he decided to go back to his room, where everything remained the same.

He took a shower, shaved his overgrown beard, found some clean clothes in his old closet that still fit and looked for food in the kitchen. As he had imagined, Alfred had left some chocolate and macadamia cookies in the stove (it was Posey’s favorite, therefore the ones he made the most), and then waited for them in the lobby, for the first time, seating in one of the waiting couches there.

When the door opened he saw two shocked features and a very happy one. Persephone ran to him and he picked her up.

“Jay! I knew you would find your way home!” She said hugging him.

“I’m home, Posey! I’m home.” And it felt like home. And everything was alright again.

* * *

Tim was shocked. He had read Bruce’s archives about the Lazurus Pit and what it could do, but he never imagined that Ra’s Al Ghoul would use it in Jason. After the touching reunion between Jason and Persephone, all house had been in alert and Bruce came home early. After dinner and Bruce reading a little to Persephone, that didn’t wanted to sleep, all the men retired themselves for the Batcave and Jason proceed to tell the history behind his resurrection.

“So, you’re telling us that Ra’s had a fit of heavy conscience and used the Pit on you?” Bruce asked with an raised eyebrow.

“I don’t think it had been a heavy conscience… I think he wanted me to kill you!”

“What?” Tim said with wide eyes, and preparing himself to any attack.

“Don’t worry boy, I’m not going to attack him. I said it because when I first woke from the Pit I was enraged, I think I killed at least ten of his men, men that were supposed to secure and bring me with full bloodlust to Bruce.” Jason said casually, sitting in a chair. “The bloodlust after I woke was immensely, I still have it, but I can control it better now, but if they sent me to you just after I had awaken, or you would be dead, or you would have to kill me.”

“But because you escaped him, he didn’t had the chance to sent you to me.” Bruce said, leaning in his chair. “But you said you have been alive in this last two years, why come home only now?”

Tim watched with some curiosity as the young man gulped, as if his answer would change everything. It probably would.

“Because it wasn’t safe. It took me a whole week in the woods to retain my sanity and my sense of self, but the bloodlust was still there. I wanted to kill everything, and sometimes I was barely able to control myself, them when I crossed the borders of Nanda Parbat and Tibet I’ve saw three men in the woods, they were rapping a girl, she should be around 7 or 8 years old, she was small, I’ve lost it, Bruce. I’ve killed all three of them. And it felt good, also it made me calmer, it calmed my bloodlust. I discover that when I kill I lose a little of the bloodlust, or at least it gets easier to control. I’ve killed three men that night and the girl got home, safely after.” He said with eyes looking straight at Bruce’s as if waiting for the judgment.

“You still kill?” Bruce asked, his eyes hard as stones and Tim saw that Alfred were placing his hand in Jason’s shoulder, giving the young man support.

“I’ve tried to not kill, but if I don’t it come back, as strong as before. So yes, I still kill. Never innocent, murderers, killers, rapists, pedophiles…”

“But you still came back, do you think it would be dangerous to Posey?”

“I won’t stay in Gotham, I can’t risk loosing it with her. And I will continue my killing, because is the only way to remain sane for me.”

“Do you know where, Master Jason?” Alfred asked with an sad voice.

“I would go for Bludheaven, but I saw that there is a birdie there. Dick’s still trying to bring every Zucco to justice?” Teasing.

“You know he is.”

“I will take Fawlet City for myself.” Jason said shrugging.

“Your studies?”

“Really B? Come on!”

At the end, it seemed that Tim gained another brother. Even if Bruce made him track everything Jason said just to confirm his story.


End file.
